This Year's Banned Books of Texas

The ACLU of Texas has released their annual report on books banned by the state's school districts.

Among the usual suspects this time around: R.L. Stine, a Gossip Girl novel and the ever-popular gay penguins tale And Tango Makes Three.

Another highlight: An elementary in a San Antonio-area district put Merriam-Webster's Visual Dictionary in a restricted area because of "sexual content or nudity."

"Censorship of Young Adult books is concerning because these books motivate youth to read, improve literacy levels and drive interest in literature. They are also very relevant to youth, assisting them to make sense of the world and helping them to form their own ideas and values to prepare for the future," said Dotty Griffith of the ACLU of Texas. "The ACLU of Texas absolutely respects parents' right to choose what books their children read and to work with teachers to find alternate titles when parents have concerns. But efforts by a single parent or small group to ban a book and keep all students from reading it infringes on the rights of other parents to make their own choices. That is the effect of banning books."